Build Our Lives Together (BOLT)

Build Our Lives Together: A first-time grantee in 2022-23

BOLT’s vision is for every neighborhood to thrive, led by the people living in them. They focus on low-income, BIPOC communities. They began in 2019 by implementing a summer youth leadership program, BOLT Youth Leaders Fellowship (previously Community Rising), for public high school students to build the pipeline of community leaders. Their expanded mission is to empower proximate leaders to lead the change their communities want to see for their neighborhoods in Philadelphia, the poorest large city in America. 

Proximate (aka “grassroots” or “community”) leaders are individuals who live in the communities they serve and work with and for their communities.  BOLT believes the rich vein of knowledge, experience, and connections of local leaders already working on the ground is a key to progress.  However, proximate leaders are disproportionately under-resourced because often those in power stereotype them as “small,” “risky,” or “low-impact.” Proximate leaders need educational opportunities to gain the skills, network, and capital to operate effectively and sustainably.  BOLT concentrates on meeting these needs through a community organizing curriculum, a strategic management curriculum, and a curriculum for navigating the local ecosystem in Philadelphia.

• BOLT teaches how to build a movement and mobilize people to act. 
• BOLT teaches how to build strategies to achieve strong and effective social impact organizations. 
• BOLT teaches about the Philadelphia Ward System, which is tied to nearly every decision made from City Hall and the Philadelphia Land Bank, which controls the city’s vacant lots.

For more information, see: https://www.phillybolt.org/